O'Connor new chancellor

of cross-removing college

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is the new chancellor of the College of William & Mary, which has taken the unusual step of removing a cross from its chapel in an effort to ensure the area is seen as a "non-denominational area."

"In order to make the Wren Chapel less of a faith-specific space, and to make it more welcoming to students, faculty, staff and visitors of all faiths, the cross has been removed from the altar area," administrator Melissa Engimann announced in an e-mail to the staff of the Williamsburg, Va., institution.

The cross will be returned to the altar for those who wish to use it for events, services or private prayer, according to a report in the campus newspaper, the Flat Hat.

The cross was in place because of the college's former association with the Anglican Church. Though the college is now nondenominational and became publicly supported in 1906, the room will still be considered a chapel, college officials said.

O'Connor, who in July announced her intention to retire as an associate justice, was subsequently named chancellor of the college, succeeding Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state, who was appointed in 2000.

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Her tenure in the Supreme Court was marked by a growing intolerance by the court for religious symbols – particularly Christian symbols – in public places.

"I am delighted to serve as chancellor of the College of William and Mary and look forward to being an active member of the campus community," she said. "Following such former chancellors as Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher and my friend Warren Burger is truly an honor that I will cherish. From the time of Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall, William and Mary has been distinguished by its unusual ability to educate young people to become national and international leaders, and I intend to do what I can to ensure that the college is able to extend that tradition well into the future."

The post of chancellor has been an important one since the college was chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of Great Britain. Until 1776, the chancellor was an English subject – usually the archbishop of Canterbury or the bishop of London – who served as the college's advocate to the crown, while a colonial president oversaw the day-to-day activities. Following the War of Independence, George Washington was appointed as the first American chancellor.

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